William Piercy, 1st Baron Piercy
Piercy was educated locally, but left school at the age of twelve to join Pharaoh Gane, timber brokers, as an office boy.During the First World War Piercy worked for the Inland Revenue, was a member of the Allied Provisions Export Commission and a director of the Ministry of Food.During the Second World War he rendered the government great service, notably as head of the British Petroleum Mission in Washington D.C., as principal assistant secretary in the Ministry of Supply and the Ministry of Aircraft Production and as personal assistant to the Deputy Prime Minister Clement Attlee.[1] From 1945 to 1964 Piercy served as chairman of the Industrial & Commercial Finance Corporation, which was set up to provide means to smaller businesses in the United Kingdom.[3] Lord Piercy married, firstly, Mary Louisa, daughter of Thomas Henry William Pelham, in 1915.